Developers of information storage devices and methods continue to seek increased storage capacity. As parts of this development, so-called page-wise memory systems, in particular holographic systems, have been suggested as alternatives to conventional memory devices.
In the typical holographic storage system, two coherent light beams are directed onto a storage medium. The first coherent light beam is a signal beam, which is used to encode data. The second coherent light beam is a reference light beam. The two coherent light beams intersect within the storage medium to produce an interference pattern. The storage medium records this interference pattern by changing its index of refraction to form an image of the interference pattern.
The recorded information, stored as a holographic image, can be read by illuminating the holographic image with a reference beam. When the holographic image is illuminated with a reference beam at an appropriate angle, a signal beam containing the information stored is produced. Most often the appropriate angle for illuminating the holographic image will be the same as the angle of the reference beam used for recording the holographic image. More than one holographic image may be stored in the same volume by, for example, varying the angle of the reference beam during recording.
The capabilities of holographic storage systems are limited in part by the storage media. Iron-doped lithium niobate has been used as a storage medium for research purposes for many years. However, lithium niobate is expensive, exhibits poor sensitivity (1 J/cm2), has low index contrast (Δn of about 10−4), and exhibits destructive read-out (i.e., images are destroyed upon reading). Alternatives have therefore been sought, particularly in the area of photosensitive polymer films. See, e.g., W. K. Smothers et al., “Photopolymers for Holography,” SPIE OE/Laser Conference, 1212-03, Los Angeles, Calif., 1990. The material described in this article contains a photoimageable system containing a liquid monomer material (the photoactive monomer) and a photoinitiator (which promotes the polymerization of the monomer upon exposure to light), where the photoimageable system is in an organic polymer host matrix that is substantially inert to the exposure light. During writing of information into the material (by passing recording light through an array representing data), the monomer polymerizes in the exposed regions. Due to the lowering of the monomer concentration caused by the polymerization, monomer from the dark, unexposed regions of the material diffuses to the exposed regions. The polymerization and resulting concentration gradient create a refractive index change, forming the hologram representing the data. Unfortunately, deposition onto a substrate of the pre-formed matrix material containing the photoimageable system requires use of solvent, and the thickness of the material is therefore limited, e.g., to no more than about 150 μm, to allow enough evaporation of the solvent to attain a stable material and reduce void formation. In holographic processes such as described above, which utilize three-dimensional space of a medium, the storage capacity is proportional to a medium's thickness. Thus, the need for solvent removal inhibits the storage capacity of a medium. (Holography of this type is typically referred to as volume holography because a Klein-Cook Q parameter greater than 1 is exhibited (see W. Klein and B. Cook, “Unified approach to ultrasonic light diffraction,” IEEE Transaction on Sonics and Ultrasonics, SU-14, 1967, at 123-134). In volume holography, the media thickness is generally greater than the fringe spacing,)
U.S. Pat. No. 6,013,454 and application Ser. No. 08/698,142, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference, also relate to a photoimageable system in an organic polymer matrix. In particular, the application discloses a recording medium formed by polymerizing matrix material in situ from a fluid mixture of organic oligomer matrix precursor and a photoimageable system. A similar type of system, but which does not incorporate oligomers, is discussed in D. J. Lougnot et al., Pure and Appl. Optics, 2, 383 (1993). Because little or no solvent is typically required for deposition of these matrix materials, greater thicknesses are possible, e.g., 200 μm and above. However, while useful results are obtained by such processes, the possibility exists for reaction between the precursors to the matrix polymer and the photoactive monomer. Such reaction would reduce the refractive index contrast between the matrix and the polymerized photoactive monomer, thereby affecting to an extent the strength of the stored hologram.
Thus, while progress has been made in fabricating photorecording media suitable for use in holographic storage systems, further progress is desirable. In particular, compositions that have exceptional high dynamic ranges are highly desired along with their abilities to maintain high performances for long-term in high temperature and high humidity environment. In addition, rapid production of high performance holographic media which are capable of being formed in relatively thick layers, e.g., greater than 200 μm, which substantially avoid reaction between the matrix material and photoactive monomers, and which exhibit useful holographic properties, are also desired.